Nursing students are required to have a nursing elective which may either be a clinical or a non-clinical nursing course. Clinical nursing electives include the summer Extern Program where a student shadows an RN and works side-by-side with the RN for the 10 week summer term. Nursing faculty facilitate the learning experiences and the student nurse extern is paid by the hospital while learning role acquisition, fine tuning those nursing skills that will be used immediately upon graduation. An option for a 5-week term without pay is available to those students who desire a shorter course but want the intensive experience that one-on-one provides in the clinical area.

Another clinical option is a mission trip during the summer. Mission trips have been organized to the Blackfoot Nation in Wyoming, Kyrgyzstan, India, Chile, China, Yemen, Mexico, Dominican Republic and other destinations.

On these mission trips, students and faculty meet physical needs working in a remote or make-shift clinic, do health teaching, and have an opportunity to share their faith with others. The students voice that this is a highpoint of their nursing education experience.